On August 4, a major forum dedicated to Ukraine’s economic recovery was held in Tokyo. The event was initiated by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, in cooperation with Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture, and supported by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).
The Ukraine–Japan Forum brought together government officials, key industry bodies, and business leaders from both countries. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties, especially in the fields of:
- energy and infrastructure,
- development of industrial and manufacturing parks,
- agro-processing, and
- improving business conditions during wartime.
Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka and Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Oleksii Sobolev expressed their gratitude to the Japanese government for its consistent support and contributions to Ukraine’s economic resilience.
“Investing in Ukraine today means investing in the future of an EU member state. Japan, as a leading country, is a reliable partner in rebuilding Ukraine and supporting essential transformations. Together, we are shaping a new global cooperation model based on mutual benefit and trust,” said Kachka.
Sobolev added that Japan is one of Ukraine’s key international partners:
“Last year, we signed over 50 cooperation agreements in Tokyo. This year, we reached an important agreement with UNIDO at URC2025 in Rome. JETRO opened its office in Kyiv, and our partnership with the Keidanren business federation has created a direct channel between Japanese businesses and the Ukrainian government. During the forum, we held numerous meetings with Japanese companies interested in investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Ukrainian projects. This shows we are taking practical steps toward recovery.”
JETRO Chairman and CEO Norihiko Ishiguro reaffirmed Japanese businesses' commitment to developing partnerships in critical infrastructure, energy, and technology:
“Support for Ukraine’s economic recovery from Japanese businesses continues to grow—in both scale and quality. The involvement of the public sector is also increasing. I sincerely hope this forum will spark new business initiatives between our countries.”
Key Agreements and Initiatives
During the forum, Ukraine and Japan signed 29 important agreements, covering agriculture and food production, infrastructure, construction, and innovation.
Highlights include:
- Tripartite Declaration between UNIDO, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture. It initiates a dialogue on industrial policy, aiming to promote green industrial recovery financed by the Japanese government, with a focus on technology transfer and new joint enterprises with Japan’s private sector.
- Memorandum of Understanding between Ukraine’s state housing agency Ukrfinzhytlo and Japan’s Export Credit Agency (NEXI). It opens cooperation avenues with international banks (such as Citibank and BNP Paribas) to secure below-market liquidity to expand Ukraine’s affordable mortgage program “єОселя.”
- Supply Chain Development Project by Japan’s Fujita Corporation, supported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy, to build infrastructure for cold and frozen food logistics and distribution.
The Ukrainian side also held bilateral meetings with heads of major Japanese institutions such as Keidanren, NEXI, and JETRO, as well as top Japanese companies, to explore further avenues of cooperation.
Ukrainian Business Participation
Ukrainian companies supporting Ukraine’s National Day at EXPO 2025—Metinvest, Epicenter, Ukrhydroenergo, Naftogaz, DTEK, Oschadbank, Ukrnafta, Kyiv School of Economics, and Biosphere—also joined the forum’s panel discussions.
Background
This was the first Ukraine–Japan Economic Recovery Forum and reflects the intensification of bilateral economic dialogue in 2024–2025. Its goal was to deepen business ties and explore opportunities for collaboration between public and private sectors to support Ukraine’s long-term sustainable recovery.
